endured a grueling jury trial that resulted in the defendant being convicted for beating her and breaking her back ["Spitzer: Claim carries no conflict," Local, July 11].

When the time came for the convicted defendant to be held financially accountable for Galvin's injuries, the deputy district attorney dropped the ball, failed to do basic legal research and agreed to allow the convicted defendant to pay only $1,590 despite the fact that Galvin's documented medical bills and lost wages were more than 10 times that amount.

The deputy district attorney, when originally shown his error, denied any wrongdoing. Galvin retained me to present the law to the prosecutor and to request a new restitution hearing before the judge. The court agreed that Galvin's constitutional rights to full restitution had been violated.

Because the defendant wanted the $1,590 deal the prosecutor agreed to, the defendant appealed to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court (lost), the Fourth District Court of Appeal (lost) and the California Supreme Court (lost).

For more than a year, Galvin continued to suffer. Thankfully, at a later point, the district attorney's office admitted its error in its own court briefs; but the damage had been done. By Galvin fighting the original act between the prosecutor and the defendant, her unlawful restitution order was reversed, and the defendant was made to pay Galvin more than $25,000.

When a government employee violates the law he or she should be held accountable. The deputy district attorney works for the county of Orange and the county is liable for that person's malpractice. Through either poor training or laziness to do basic legal research showing victim Galvin's right to restitution, victim Galvin was deprived of her basic legal rights. She retained me to reverse this injustice.

At the time Galvin asked me to help her I was in private practice. Cases don't end just because someone gets elected to the Board of Supervisors. My duty to Galvin didn't end either.

As Galvin's lawyer, I organized the work I had already done in the case and assisted her to explain the nature of her county claim. I did not file the county claim and I have no contact with any decision-makers on her claim. Indeed, county counsel stated unequivocally: "I don't see any impropriety at all."

This is a good-news victim story that got lost in the sensationalism of Todd Spitzer as a public figure. I am proud Galvin fought and won.

Morsi's destructive rule

LAGUNA NIGUEL, John Hamaker, A New York Times article recently reported that an Islamist leader explained Egypt's riots by saying that if Egyptians accepted the army's removal of an elected president, it would be the death of Egyptian

democracy.

However, Egypt's former President Mohammed Morsi and his Islamists, in just one year, had destroyed democracy before the army moved in. The nation has a much better chance of regaining its democracy with the army than with Morsi.

This new Islamist power move is another example that shows why our nation's founders, who knew history, were wise enough to write our Constitution separating church and state. They knew that since all religions are inherently dictatorships, it's impossible for a nation to have both freedom and religion in its government.

Plastic bags, not paper

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Mark Dupray: If cities and individual shoppers are choosing paper rather than plastic bags for environmental reasons, they're making the wrong choice ["Carried away with bags," Letters, July 10].

Plastic grocery bags are produced efficiently using about one-half of the required energy that's required to produce paper bags. Plastic bags are produced from affordable and abundant natural gas with near-zero emissions or waste by-products.

Paper bags require that trees be cut down, often from remote locations and be processed there, creating huge amounts of contaminated waste water, requiring harsh pulping chemicals and emitting numerous harmful airborne pollutants. Add to this that paper bags are bulky, requiring seven truckloads to deliver what can be delivered with just one truckload of lightweight and compact plastic bags.

After use recycled plastic bags are a desirable collectable in the recycling waste stream. If a plastic bag were to be disposed of in a landfill, it would remain there, taking far less space than a paper bag. Paper bags in land fills decompose, potentially creating methane gas that can escape into the atmosphere. Plus, decayed fibers can leach through the soil, potentially adding toxins into the local water table.

I could go on about practical, personal advantages of plastic over paper, but I'll leave it with this: If you want to feel good, use paper. If you want to do good, use plastic and then recycle.

Prisoner petulance

FULLERTON, Scott Irwin: So, inmates went on a hunger strike, because they do not like some of the California prison system's way of doing business, for example, they object to long-term solitary confinement ["30,000 state inmates stage hunger strike," News, July 10]. These inmates' performance has shown that they cannot "play well with the other prisoners" and/or the prison staff, so they must be confined respectively.

Why should we even care or give press coverage to such childish activity? If they choose not to eat, that is their prerogative.

As long as the prison system provides prisoners with appropriate meals, each inmate has an option to participate or not. If one chooses not to participate, so be it. Simply collect the food tray and life goes on. Inmates who refuse to go to work or attend classes should have their privileges reduced appropriately.

Of course, most of these inmates could not abide by the rules on the outside, which is why they are where they are. Consequently, why should we be surprised that they cannot comply with prison rules?

Life incarceration is not fun or pleasant. Moreover, inmates in California are treated much better than inmates in other states.

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Constitutional politics

FULLERTON, Ed Leonard: I recently registered as an Independent in lieu of my status as a Republican for the last 21 years. There seems to be a movement for the Republicans to become "Democrat-lite," a change in republicanism that I cannot abide nor support.

There appears to be no limits on Washington's power. No one asks if a law is constitutional, if it has a legal basis or if it is good for the Republic.

Republicans seem happy to take the position that they are willing to embrace liberal ideas, so long as the Democrats refrain from calling the Republicans names. The courage of the Republican Party as a stalwart of civil rights, the party of abolition, is no longer. That kind of courage is sorely missing.

I embrace the Constitution and the limited government that our truly greatest generation envisioned in the drafting and enacting of the U.S. Constitution. I will do this by refusing to contribute to the Republican Party and by supporting the Tea Party.

Eventually, the Republican Party will change or perish. I hope there are other, like-minded Americans who demand the constitutional republic that the Founding Fathers created.

WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Letters to the Editor: E-mail to letters@ocregister.com.
Please provide your name, city and telephone number (telephone numbers will not be published).
Letters of about 200 words or videos of 30-seconds
each will be given preference. Letters will be edited for length, grammar and clarity.

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.